Remote Sensing (Oct 2019)
Measuring Marine Plastic Debris from Space: Initial Assessment of Observation Requirements
- Víctor Martínez-Vicente,
- James R. Clark,
- Paolo Corradi,
- Stefano Aliani,
- Manuel Arias,
- Mathias Bochow,
- Guillaume Bonnery,
- Matthew Cole,
- Andrés Cózar,
- Rory Donnelly,
- Fidel Echevarría,
- François Galgani,
- Shungudzemwoyo P. Garaba,
- Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy,
- Laurent Lebreton,
- Heather A. Leslie,
- Penelope K. Lindeque,
- Nikolai Maximenko,
- François-Régis Martin-Lauzer,
- Delwyn Moller,
- Peter Murphy,
- Lorenzo Palombi,
- Valentina Raimondi,
- Julia Reisser,
- Laia Romero,
- Stefan G.H. Simis,
- Sindy Sterckx,
- Richard C. Thompson,
- Konstantinos N. Topouzelis,
- Erik van Sebille,
- Joana Mira Veiga,
- A. Dick Vethaak
Affiliations
- Víctor Martínez-Vicente
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
- James R. Clark
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
- Paolo Corradi
- European Space Agency—ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
- Stefano Aliani
- ISMAR-CNR, Forte Santa Teresa, Pozzuolo di Lerici, 19032 La Spezia, Italy
- Manuel Arias
- ARGANS Ltd., Chamberlain House, 1 Research Way, Plymouth PL6 8BU, UK
- Mathias Bochow
- Section 1.4 Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam—GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Guillaume Bonnery
- Airbus Defence and Space—Space Systems 31, rue des Cosmonautes Z.I. du Palays, 31402 Toulouse, France
- Matthew Cole
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
- Andrés Cózar
- Dpto. Biología, Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEIMAR), Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Marinas (INMAR), Universidad de Cádiz, E-11510 Puerto Real, Spain
- Rory Donnelly
- European Association for Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC), Rue de la Loi 26, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
- Fidel Echevarría
- Dpto. Biología, Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEIMAR), Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Marinas (INMAR), Universidad de Cádiz, E-11510 Puerto Real, Spain
- François Galgani
- IFREMER, LER/PAC, ZI Furiani, 20600 Bastia, France
- Shungudzemwoyo P. Garaba
- The Ocean Cleanup, Batavierenstraat 15, 4-7th floor, 3014 JH Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy
- Environmental Research Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Castle Street, Thurso, Caithness KW14 7JD, UK
- Laurent Lebreton
- The Ocean Cleanup, Batavierenstraat 15, 4-7th floor, 3014 JH Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Heather A. Leslie
- Dept. of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Penelope K. Lindeque
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
- Nikolai Maximenko
- International Pacific Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- François-Régis Martin-Lauzer
- ARGANS Ltd., Chamberlain House, 1 Research Way, Plymouth PL6 8BU, UK
- Delwyn Moller
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- Peter Murphy
- Genwest Inc. 170 W. Dayton St. Suite 106A Edmonds, WA 98020, USA
- Lorenzo Palombi
- IFAC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Valentina Raimondi
- IFAC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Julia Reisser
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Laia Romero
- ISARDSAT, C. Marie Curie, 8-14, A213 08042 Barcelona, Spain
- Stefan G.H. Simis
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
- Sindy Sterckx
- Remote Sensing Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
- Richard C. Thompson
- International Marine Litter Research Unit, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
- Konstantinos N. Topouzelis
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
- Erik van Sebille
- Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research, Utrecht University, PO Box 80125, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Joana Mira Veiga
- DELTARES, 2600 MH Delft, The Netherlands
- A. Dick Vethaak
- Dept. of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11202443
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 11,
no. 20
p. 2443
Abstract
Sustained observations are required to determine the marine plastic debris mass balance and to support effective policy for planning remedial action. However, observations currently remain scarce at the global scale. A satellite remote sensing system could make a substantial contribution to tackling this problem. Here, we make initial steps towards the potential design of such a remote sensing system by: (1) identifying the properties of marine plastic debris amenable to remote sensing methods and (2) highlighting the oceanic processes relevant to scientific questions about marine plastic debris. Remote sensing approaches are reviewed and matched to the optical properties of marine plastic debris and the relevant spatio-temporal scales of observation to identify challenges and opportunities in the field. Finally, steps needed to develop marine plastic debris detection by remote sensing platforms are proposed in terms of fundamental science as well as linkages to ongoing planning for satellite systems with similar observation requirements.
Keywords
- remote sensing
- marine plastic debris
- mission requirements
- hyperspectral sensors
- multispectral imagers
- high spatial resolution
- sensors synergy
- submesoscale processes
